Apparatus for the production of snack food

ABSTRACT

The material of food is first supplied into a supply source and is then divided into a proper amount by a rotary feed drum having several recesses for a further intermittent feed of the material through a guide hopper into an oil tank serving as a fry pan provided at the bottom of the apparatus. The fried material is continuously taken up for the edible oil with an action of a rotary vane and is then blown away by a blower onto an oil strainer means for removing the residual oil and finally the resultant snack food is collected in a container.

[ Feb. 13, 1973 United States Patent 91 Yamamura APPARATUS FOR THEPRODUCTION 3,020,162 2/1962 Cunningham et al.................99/80 R3,336,137 8/1967 Hickey ..99/80 R OF SNACK FOOD [76] Inventor:

Q- f Primary ExaminerRaymond N. Jones Mmemachl Chofu Tokyo JapanAttorney-Emest A. Greenside W p P u S a o t .m d .w m m C m r mfi SS m.m f o m n w a m 6 7 h T 0 7 9 1 5 26 n W5 S7 0. N ml P MD. FA 1] 2 22source and is then divided into a proper amount by a [52] US.Cl..............- ............99/353, 99/80 rotary feed drum havingSeveral recesses for a further intermittent feed of the material througha guide hopper into an oil tank sewing as a fry pan provided at thebottom of the apparatus. The fried material is m5 5 13 M3 5 A 2 0 3 m7 O3 MP m0 "0 .1 H 9 v h. c r m m tam te mm 18 55 [L 99/80 85 continuouslytaken up for the edible oil with an action of a rotary vane and is thenblown away by a blower onto an oil strainer means for removing theresidual oil and finally the resultant snack food is collected in acontainer.

- 56] ReferencesiCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,549,283Ashton..,............................. ...99/408 2,886,439 .99/353 3Claims, 3 Drawing'Figures PATENTEU m 1 a 1m F IG] INVENTOR KOJI YAMAMURAAPPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SNACK FOOD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONSUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A primary object of the present invention is toprovide an automatic and continuous method and apparatus for producingsnack food in a selected amount with a ready operation at the shop.

A further object of the present invention is to provide such acontinuous method of producing snack food wherein the material of foodis supplied into a supply source and is then divided into a properamount by a rotary feed drum for a further intermittent feed of thematerial into an oil tank serving as a fry pan and the fried material iscontinuously taken up from the oil with a rotary vane and subsequentlyblown away by a blower onto an oil strainer for removing the residualoil and finally the resultant snack food is collected in a container.Usually, the material is once precipitated in the oil and, after friedthus reduction of specific gravity, comes to the surface of the boilingoil.

- A further important object of the present invention is to provide anew automatic apparatus for producing snack food which comprises asupply source of the material incorporated with a rotary feed drumhaving several recesses for dividing the'material into a proper amount,a guide hopper for communicating said supply source of the material withan oil tank serving as a fry pan, a rotary vane provided in the oiltank, an oil strainer means for removing the residual oil and acontainer for collecting the fried material.

The relatively low rotating speed of the rotary feed drum atapproximately 6- rpm is accorded with that of the rotary vane so that aproper balance is maintained between the supplyspeed' of the materialand the frying rate of the material.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent as thedescription proceeds in particular reference to the attached drawing, inwhich;

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a schematic front elevationin partially sectioned of the apparatus for the production of snack foodaccording to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation taken along the line designated 11- ofFIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a partially and longitudinally sectioned view of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT There is shown in the drawing atypical apparatus by means of which the preferred method of the presentinvention can be accomplished.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 of the application drawing, the apparatus for embodyingthe novel method according to the invention comprises, a supply funnel10 for supplying the. material, a rotary feed drum 12 provided with fourrecesses 14 for separating the material into a proper amount, a guidehopper 16 for communicating the supply funnel 10 with an oil tank 18serving as a fry pan and provided at the bottom of the apparatus, arotary vane 20 arranged in the oil tank 18 for the take-up of the friedmaterial floating on the boiling edible oil, a blower 22 for blowingaway the fried material on the vane, an oil strainer comprising a firstscreen 24, a second screen 26 and a third screen -28 and a container 30for collecting the treated product. All these components areaccommodated in a housing 32 of heat resisting glass.

As best shown in FIG. 3, the supply funnel 10 of the material at its onelower side portion is incorporated with the rotary feed drum 12 which isprovided with four recesses 14 for dividing the material into a properamount. The supply funnel 10 at its conical inner wall portion is weldedwith one end of a stirring piece 34 and the other end thereof isextended to be in contact with the peripheral edge of the drum 12 sothat the stirring piece 34 is oscillated during the revolution of therotary feed drum 12 thereby facilitating the introduction of thematerial from the supply source 10 into the recess 14.

The rotary feed drum 12 is partially accommodated in the upper endportion of the guide hopper 16 having a constricted end opened into theoil tank 18 in which a rotary vane 20 for the take-up of thefriedmaterial is arranged. As best shown in FIG. 3, an outer end of thevane 20 is bent at a right angle to the straight portion of the vane sothat the material floating on the oil is tangibly taken up by the vanes.

At one side of the rotary vane, there is opened an end of the blowingtube 22 to blow away the material taken up from the oil by the vanes 20.

As best shown in FIG. 1, the oil strainer means comprises a first screen24 extending from the other upper side of the oil tank 18 with anoil-drip plate 36, a second screen 26 with an oil-drip plate 38 providedon the inner wall of the casing 32 in opposite and tilting relation tothe first screen 24 and a third screen 28 with an oil-drip plate 40provided horizontally at the bottom of the container 30 to receive thefried material sliding down along the second screen 26. By thisconstruction, the residual oil of the fried material may be completelyremoved. The removed oil is finally recovered in the oil-drip pan 42. itwill be appreciated that the screens may be wire net or heat resistingporous board.

At the upper end of the casing 32, there is provided a sterilizing lamp44 for irradiating the interior of the easing 32 while keeping theenvironment sanitarily in good condition. Further, the casing at itsselected portion is provided with an air vent with a small fan (notshown) to exhaust the smoke developed in the casing.

In the preferred operation of the apparatus according to the presentinvention; the material of food is supplied into the supply funnel l0and subsequently divided into a proper amount by the rotating feed drum12 for dropping the material intermittently into the oil tank I8 withboiling edible oil through the guide hopper 16. The material is onceprecipitated into the oil and, after fried, comes to the surface of theboiling oil for the continuous take-up operation by the rotating vanes20. The material on the vane is blown away by the action of the blowerand runs over the first and second screens 24 and 2 6 onto'the thirdscreen 28 while removing the residual oil. The thus treated material iscollected in the container 30.

As illustrated above according to the present invention, the productionof the fried food may be carried out automatically and continuously atthe shop by an apparatus of simple construction with ready operation.

While certain preferred embodiments of the invention have beenillustrated by way of example in the drawings and particularlydescribed, it will be understood that various modifications may be madein the methods and constructions and that the invention is no waylimited to the embodiments shown.

What we claim is;

1. An apparatus for producing a food product of the type capable ofbeing mouthed in its entirety in a single feeding, said apparatuscomprising a supply source of the food product in its raw state, arotary drum having a plurality of discrete recesses separated from oneanother, each recess being in communication during said drum rotationwith the supply source for receiving therefrom a predetermined quantityof the product determined by the recess size, a guide hopper having oneend disposed in relation to said drum to receive therefrom anintermittent supply of said product as a function of drum rotation, anoil reservoir serving as a fry pan to which the opposite end of thehopper is connected, a rotary vane in the oil reservoir for removingfried products from the oil, blower means for blowing the fried productfrom the rotary vane, oil strainer means for receiving said friedproduct from the rotary vane when blown therefrom and for removingresidual oil from the product, and a container for collecting said friedproduct supplied thereto by said oil strainer means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said supply sourcecomprises a funnel having a constricted portion provided with a stirringmember having an end in contact with a peripheral edge of the drum.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said oil strainer meanscomprises a first screen extending from the upper end portion of the oilreservoir, a second screen provided in opposed and tilting relation tothe first screen, and a third screen provided at the bottom of thecontainer to receive fried material.

1. An apparatus for producing a food product of the type capable ofbeing mouthed in its entirety in a single feeding, said apparatuscomprising a supply source of the food product in its raw state, arotary drum having a plurality of discrete recesses separated from oneanother, each recess being in communication during said drum rotationwith the supply source for receiving therefrom a predetermined quantityof the product determined by the recess size, a guide hopper having oneend disposed in relation to said drum to receive therefrom anintermittent supply of said product as a function of drum rotation, anoil reservoir serving as a fry pan to which the opposite end of thehopper is connected, a rotary vane in the oil reservoir for removingfried products from the oil, blower means for blowing the fried productfrom the rotary vane, oil strainer means for receiving said friedproduct from the rotary vane when blown therefrom and for removingresidual oil from the product, and a container for collecting said friedproduct supplied thereto by said oil strainer means.
 2. An apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein said supply source comprises a funnelhaving a constricted portion provided with a stirring member having anend in contact with a peripheral edge of the drum.